Academic grading in the United States
Encyclopedia
Academic grading in the United States most commonly takes on the form of five letter grades. Historically, the grades were A, B, C, D, and F—A being the highest and F, denoting failure, the lowest. In the mid-twentieth century, many American educational institutions—especially in the Midwest (particularly the State of Michigan)—began to use the letters A, B, C, D, and E. The only difference here is that failure is denoted by F. By comparison, the grade E is sometimes used in Canada as a conditional failing grade or a final failing grade (Quebec). No grades awarded on American quality indices are conditional, except special grades like I (Incomplete) and Y (course on non-traditional calendar, assigned to regular term in which the student enrolled in the course).
Chromatic variants, represented by + and −, are commonly used. They are usually represented as being 0.3 higher and lower than the normal (e.g., B = 3.0, so B+ = 3.3 and B− = 2.7). A few institutions use only a single midpoint between the major points on the scale; that is, they regard an A− as effectively the same grade as B+. At the University of Wisconsin, on the other hand, the single grades A− and B+ are eliminated in favor of the combination grade 'AB'. The grade AB = 3.5; BC = 2.5; and so on. Both approaches are unusual, being used by a minority of institutions.http://registrar.wisc.edu/grades_and_gpa.htm
The grade A+ is a novelty in American education. The minority of institutions that use it may quantify the grade as 4.3 or 4.5, but many of them quantify A+ as 4.0 on the theory that a 4.0 scale cannot go higher than 4.0. By convention, quantitative scales are called by the highest whole number, so there is—at least, conventionally—no such scale based on 4.3 or 4.5, but it is still a 4.0 or 4-point scale because the fraction is ignored in naming the scale. D- is also sometimes omitted, under the assumption that anything less than a D is by definition failure.
American high schools and universities sometimes weight their GPAs
. The following is an example of a grade distribution commonly used in American high schools, based on a total percentage of points.
American high schools typically require a 3.0 grade point average to qualify to take a diploma. The industry standard for undergraduate institutions is a minimum 2.0 average. Most graduate schools have required a 3.0 grade point average since 1975 (the transition began two decades earlier), but some schools still have 2.75 as their pass standard. Some doctoral programs do not have a formal pass standard. For example, the Michigan Doctorate, conferred by the Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan, is awarded solely on the basis of competence in research. It is unlikely, however, that the University of Michigan would retain a student who is doing work below 'B' quality, notwithstanding the grade point average is technically irrelevant to conferral of the degree.
Most American law schools require no more than a 2.0 grade point average to qualify for the professional doctorate in law. This is because law school grades are based on a strict bell curve system which typically results in the failure of 10-30% of first year students. A few law schools require 2.3 or 2.5 for post-doctoral degrees, such as the American LL.M. or S.J.D. degrees. Regular graduate schools have eliminated the D grade because of their objective grading systems (e.g. it is possible for an entire class to receive a B+ in a given subject whereas such an outcome would be impossible in a law school due to the bell curve system). Objective grading systems employed by graduate schools render the D grade unacceptable at such a level.
The Rackham School of Graduate Studies, for example, uses the following 9.0 scale:
Apart from law schools (for reasons mentioned above), graduate schools in some states (California among them) continue to award the grade D in graduate school, despite having a 3.0 degree pass standard—measured against which a D (1.0) is normally considered superfluous, because even B− (2.7 or 2.5) is a failing grade in most graduate schools.
In a typical points-based system, each question in every assignment is assigned a certain number of points. A simple homework question is usually worth one point, and a lengthy project, such as an essay, is worth many more points. The points for a large project, in turn, may be further divided into smaller areas for evaluation (this is called a "rubric"): ten points for writing the correct length of an essay, five points for a well-written introduction, five points for spelling and grammar, ten points for reasoning, and so forth. The final grade for the course is calculated as a percentage of points earned out of points possible.
In a percentage-based system, each assignment, regardless of size, type, or complexity, is given a percentage score: eight correct answers out of ten is a score of 80%. The overall grade for the class is then typically weighted
so that the final grade represents a stated proportion of different types of work. For example, daily homework may be counted as 50% of the final grade, chapter quizzes may count for 20%, the comprehensive final exam may count for 20%, and a major project may count for the remaining 10%.
School grades may represent rewards from teachers "for being friendly, prepared, compliant, a good school citizen, well organized and hard-working" rather than mastering the subject material. Schools in the United States have used academic grades to penalize students for being bored or uncooperative, for talking out of turn, for being unable to bring a box of facial tissue
s for the class to share. Also some teachers use Self- and Peer-Assessment
to evaluate some of a student's work.
As an instrument of systemic reform, the tests are targeted to items and skills not currently in the curriculum to promote adoption of methods such as constructivist mathematics, inquiry-based science, and problem solving.
Grades can be enhanced by extra credit
s, awarded where students undertake optional work, additional to their compulsory school work.
In the most extreme form, students are ranked and grades are assigned according to a student's rank
, placing students in direct competition with one another.
One model uses percentages derived from a normal distribution model of educational performance. The top grade, A, is given here for performance that exceeds the mean
by +1.5 standard deviation
s, a B for performance between +0.5 and +1.5 standard deviations above the mean, and so on . Regardless of the absolute performance of the students, the best score in the group receives a top grade, and the worst score receives a failing grade.
Rank-based grading is popular among some American educators, usually under the euphemism
of grade rationing. The arguments for grade-rationing are that:
The arguments against rank-based grading are similar:
Most high school
s and nearly all college
s in the United States
use a four-point system. Universities in Hong Kong and Canada, as well as some schools in Singapore also use this system. Under the GPA system, the maximum grade is 4.0 which is equivalent to 100 on a 100-point grading scale.
Numerical values are applied to grades as follows:
This allows grades to be easily averaged. Additionally, many schools add .33 for a + grade and subtract .33 for a − grade. Thus, a B+ yields a 3.33 where as an A– yields a 3.67. http://studentspreunited.com/page/GPA4pointcalculator A+s, if given, are usually assigned a value of 4.0 (equivalent to an A) due to the common assumption that a 4.00 is the best possible grade-point average, although 4.33 is awarded at some institutions. In some places, .25 or .3 instead of .33 is added for a + grade and subtracted for a − grade. Other institutions maintain a mid grade and award .5 for the grade. For example, an AB would receive a 3.5 grade point and a BC would receive a 2.5 grade point.
courses are:
Another policy commonly used by 4.0-scale schools is to mimic the eleven-point weighted scale (see below) by adding a .33 (one third of a letter grade) to an honors or advanced placement class. (For example, a B in a regular class would be a 3.0, but in an honors or AP class it would become a B+, or 3.33).
Sometimes the 5-based weighting scale is used for AP courses and the 4.6-based scale for honors courses, but often a school will choose one system and apply it universally to all advanced courses. A small number of high schools use a 5 point scale for Honors courses, a 6 point scale for AP courses, and/or a 3 point scale for courses of below average difficulty.
use an eleven-point system. In this system, one point is usually added to weight a more challenging course. Numerical values are applied to grades as follows:
A very few American high schools use a twelve-point system, which differs from the above only in using the grade A+, to which the value 12.0 is applied.
used four letters, which ranked, in descending order:
This system has largely been replaced by the five-point system discussed above, but is still encountered quite often at the elementary school
level, particularly in kindergarten
and Grades 1 through 3 (these levels comprising the lower division of primary school). It is also occasionally used at schools for older children, including high school
s, especially in the issuance of conduct or citizenship grades.
There are a few variations to this system, including the use of an O (for "outstanding") grade, which is even higher than the E; a G (for "good") placed between the E and the S; the use of a G (again for "good") instead of the E; and the lack of a U grade. In this version, E stands for "exemplary" and P proficient, with AE and AP for work that approaches the E and P levels. "Credit" is equivalent to the D level and "No Credit" is equivalent to F. http://www.csupomona.edu/~ceis/ipoly/I-Poly%20Handbook%202004-2005.pdf
The S grade may be so modified with an S+ or S−, but otherwise plus and minus are seldom used.
A similar system is used to rank practical work in the certain science department of Oxford University; however only with the grades S (Satisfactory) S+ (more than satisfactory, and may be used in the allocation of degree grades) and NS (Not Satisfactory).
Some schools use O instead of E.
, Bennington College
, The Evergreen State College
, Prescott College
, New College of Florida
, and Hampshire College
) or de-emphasize them (St. John's College, Reed College
, Sarah Lawrence College
, College of the Atlantic
). In all cases, the rationale is that grades often do not provide a clear picture of academic aptitude or of potential for success, and that learning, not achieving the highest score, should be the goal of a liberal education. In many cases, narrative evaluation
s are used as an alternative measurement system.
A 'Y' grade indicates the course, or the time allowed to complete it, extends beyond the temporal bounds of a single term to encompass an entire academic or calendar year, or longer. Conversely, an 'I' grade indicates the student was satisfactorily completing a course when something happened that prevented timely completion, usually illness or injury.
The length of time allowed to complete the work for an 'I' grade varies from a deadline in the first few weeks following the end of term to a full calendar year, the latter being more usual. For some courses (such as independent studies or thesis/dissertation credits), or in some situations (such as subsequent non-enrollment), the time allowed for completion may be indefinite. Some institutions will convert the 'I' grade to an 'E' or 'F' (failing) grade if the student does not complete the course by the end of the time period; others simply make the 'I' grade permanent at that time; and a few institutions retroactively withdraw the student from the course, changing the 'I' to a 'W' grade. Most institutions allow students to apply for an extension of the completion time, upon presentation of special circumstances.
Policies on 'Y' grades are similar or identical to those for 'I' grades, but because of the historical difference in meaning ("Year" instead of "Incomplete"), it is rare for 'Y' grades to be converted to a failing grade if a student does not finish the course, but conversion to 'W' may be done.
The FN grade indicates that a student has failed a course due to non-attendance. It is calculated as an “F” in the student’s grade point average. For students receiving financial aid, failure for non-attendance may require the student to refund to the College all or part of his or her aid. The FN grade will be assigned by the faculty member at anytime following the final withdrawal date for the course. Students who are in a failing status because of non-attendance but return to the course prior to the withdrawal date may elect to withdraw from the course.
A grade of "W" indicates that a student has elected to withdrawal from a course prior to the course's withdraw deadline. It is not calculated in the student’s grade point average, which would keep the student from facing possible academic disciplinary action if he or she was to fall below the required Standards of Academic Progress (SAP). For students receiving financial aid, a grade of "W" may require the student to refund to the College all or part of his or her aid.
Standards for Academic Progress in Florida, for example, require a student to maintain a grade point average of 2.00 on the 4.00 scale. The student must also successfully complete 67% of the courses attempted, which includes previous failures, re-takes, and withdrawals. Additionally a student may not attempt a course more than three (3) times.
No credit will be awarded and fees for college credit courses taken on an audit basis are the same as those taken on a college credit or workforce credit basis.
Courses taken for audit do not count as hours enrolled for the following areas: veteran certification, financial aid awards, Social Security certification, international student enrollment requirements or early admission program enrollment requirements.
Students’ scholastic standing or grade point average is obtained by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted for which the foregoing grades have been assigned. Grades of “I,” “W,” “NR,” and “X” are not used in the computation of grade point average. Grades earned in college preparatory classes do not count in the computation of the grade point average.
Numerical and letter grades
The A–F (A–E) quality index is typically quantified by correlation to a five-point numerical scale as follows:- A = 4.0
- B = 3.0
- C = 2.0
- D = 1.0
- E/F = 0.0
Chromatic variants, represented by + and −, are commonly used. They are usually represented as being 0.3 higher and lower than the normal (e.g., B = 3.0, so B+ = 3.3 and B− = 2.7). A few institutions use only a single midpoint between the major points on the scale; that is, they regard an A− as effectively the same grade as B+. At the University of Wisconsin, on the other hand, the single grades A− and B+ are eliminated in favor of the combination grade 'AB'. The grade AB = 3.5; BC = 2.5; and so on. Both approaches are unusual, being used by a minority of institutions.http://registrar.wisc.edu/grades_and_gpa.htm
The grade A+ is a novelty in American education. The minority of institutions that use it may quantify the grade as 4.3 or 4.5, but many of them quantify A+ as 4.0 on the theory that a 4.0 scale cannot go higher than 4.0. By convention, quantitative scales are called by the highest whole number, so there is—at least, conventionally—no such scale based on 4.3 or 4.5, but it is still a 4.0 or 4-point scale because the fraction is ignored in naming the scale. D- is also sometimes omitted, under the assumption that anything less than a D is by definition failure.
American high schools and universities sometimes weight their GPAs
Grade (education)
Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
. The following is an example of a grade distribution commonly used in American high schools, based on a total percentage of points.
| Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 92%–100% |
| B | 83%–91% |
| C | 74%–82% |
| D | 65%–73% |
| E / F | 64% and below |
American high schools typically require a 3.0 grade point average to qualify to take a diploma. The industry standard for undergraduate institutions is a minimum 2.0 average. Most graduate schools have required a 3.0 grade point average since 1975 (the transition began two decades earlier), but some schools still have 2.75 as their pass standard. Some doctoral programs do not have a formal pass standard. For example, the Michigan Doctorate, conferred by the Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan, is awarded solely on the basis of competence in research. It is unlikely, however, that the University of Michigan would retain a student who is doing work below 'B' quality, notwithstanding the grade point average is technically irrelevant to conferral of the degree.
Most American law schools require no more than a 2.0 grade point average to qualify for the professional doctorate in law. This is because law school grades are based on a strict bell curve system which typically results in the failure of 10-30% of first year students. A few law schools require 2.3 or 2.5 for post-doctoral degrees, such as the American LL.M. or S.J.D. degrees. Regular graduate schools have eliminated the D grade because of their objective grading systems (e.g. it is possible for an entire class to receive a B+ in a given subject whereas such an outcome would be impossible in a law school due to the bell curve system). Objective grading systems employed by graduate schools render the D grade unacceptable at such a level.
The Rackham School of Graduate Studies, for example, uses the following 9.0 scale:
- A+ = 9.0
- A = 8.0
- A− = 7.0
- B+ = 6.0
- B = 5.0
- B− = 4.0
- C+ = 3.0
- C = 2.0
- C− = 1.0
- F = 0.0
Apart from law schools (for reasons mentioned above), graduate schools in some states (California among them) continue to award the grade D in graduate school, despite having a 3.0 degree pass standard—measured against which a D (1.0) is normally considered superfluous, because even B− (2.7 or 2.5) is a failing grade in most graduate schools.
How grades are assigned
Most teachers construct an organized system for evaluating student work.In a typical points-based system, each question in every assignment is assigned a certain number of points. A simple homework question is usually worth one point, and a lengthy project, such as an essay, is worth many more points. The points for a large project, in turn, may be further divided into smaller areas for evaluation (this is called a "rubric"): ten points for writing the correct length of an essay, five points for a well-written introduction, five points for spelling and grammar, ten points for reasoning, and so forth. The final grade for the course is calculated as a percentage of points earned out of points possible.
In a percentage-based system, each assignment, regardless of size, type, or complexity, is given a percentage score: eight correct answers out of ten is a score of 80%. The overall grade for the class is then typically weighted
Weighting
The process of weighting involves emphasizing the contribution of some aspects of a phenomenon to a final effect or result — giving them 'more weight' in the analysis. That is, rather than each variable in the data contributing equally to the final result, some data are adjusted to contribute...
so that the final grade represents a stated proportion of different types of work. For example, daily homework may be counted as 50% of the final grade, chapter quizzes may count for 20%, the comprehensive final exam may count for 20%, and a major project may count for the remaining 10%.
School grades may represent rewards from teachers "for being friendly, prepared, compliant, a good school citizen, well organized and hard-working" rather than mastering the subject material. Schools in the United States have used academic grades to penalize students for being bored or uncooperative, for talking out of turn, for being unable to bring a box of facial tissue
Facial tissue
Facial tissue and paper handkerchief refers to a class of soft, absorbent, disposable papers that is suitable for use on the face. They are disposable alternatives for cloth handkerchiefs...
s for the class to share. Also some teachers use Self- and Peer-Assessment
Self- and Peer-Assessment
Self or Peer Assessment is a process whereby students or their peers grade assignments or tests based on a teacher’s benchmarks. The practise is employed to save teachers time and improve students' understanding of course materials as well as improve their metacognitive skills...
to evaluate some of a student's work.
Standards-based grading
With the adoption of Standards-based education to standards, most states have created examinations in which students are compared to a standard of what educators, businesspeople, parents, and other stakeholders have determined to be what every student should know and be able to do. Students are graded as exceeding, meeting, or falling below the standard. The advantage is that students are not compared against each other, and all have the opportunity to pass the standard. However, the standard is typically set at a level that is so much higher than previous achievement, that 50–80% of students fail at least some part of the standards in the first year, including nearly all non-college bound students. Though the passage rates for all groups rises as teachers adapt to the new standards, the failure ratio of African-American, Latino, and Native American minorities remains higher than white students, whose failure rate in turn is higher than Asian-American students.As an instrument of systemic reform, the tests are targeted to items and skills not currently in the curriculum to promote adoption of methods such as constructivist mathematics, inquiry-based science, and problem solving.
Grades can be enhanced by extra credit
Extra credit
Extra credit is an academic concept, particularly used in American schools. Students are offered the opportunity to undertake optional work, additional to their compulsory school work, in order to gain additional credit that would boost their grades....
s, awarded where students undertake optional work, additional to their compulsory school work.
Rank-based grading
Grading on a curve is any system wherein the group performance is used to moderate evaluation; it need not be strictly or purely rank-based.In the most extreme form, students are ranked and grades are assigned according to a student's rank
Class rank
Class rank is a measure of how a student's performance compares to other students in his or her class. It is commonly also expressed as a percentile. For instance, a student may have a GPA better than 750 of his or her classmates in a graduating class of 800...
, placing students in direct competition with one another.
| Grade | percentage of students receiving grade |
|---|---|
| A | top 7% |
| B | next 24% |
| C | middle 38% |
| D | next 24% |
| F | bottom 7% |
One model uses percentages derived from a normal distribution model of educational performance. The top grade, A, is given here for performance that exceeds the mean
Mean
In statistics, mean has two related meanings:* the arithmetic mean .* the expected value of a random variable, which is also called the population mean....
by +1.5 standard deviation
Standard deviation
Standard deviation is a widely used measure of variability or diversity used in statistics and probability theory. It shows how much variation or "dispersion" there is from the average...
s, a B for performance between +0.5 and +1.5 standard deviations above the mean, and so on . Regardless of the absolute performance of the students, the best score in the group receives a top grade, and the worst score receives a failing grade.
Rank-based grading is popular among some American educators, usually under the euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
of grade rationing. The arguments for grade-rationing are that:
- Grade inflationGrade inflationGrade inflation is the tendency of academic grades for work of comparable quality to increase over time.It is frequently discussed in relation to U.S. education, and to GCSEs and A levels in England and Wales...
—a serious problem in education, in which nearly all students receive high grades—is impossible in a rank-based system. Historic measures of performance in the subject matter may no longer apply, as human knowledge has increased substantially over time. Rank-based grading compares current students to each other, rather than to a standard that may have been set decades before. - Rank-based grading may push classes to their greatest performance potential by appealing to their competitive instincts.
- Rank-based grading shows how the student compares to other students, who all had the same instructor with the same lessons and homework during the same time period. If grades are meant to represent the student's relative ability to learn, rather than to certify that the student knows and can do certain things, then rank-based grading shows clear superiority in methodology to non-curved methods of grading. However, if the purpose of grading is purely to indicate abilities learned, then a non-ranked system is more appropriate.
- As many corporations used rank-based evaluation measures, sometimes even related to terminationTermination of employment-Involuntary termination:Involuntary termination is the employee's departure at the hands of the employer. There are two basic types of involuntary termination, known often as being "fired" and "laid off." To be fired, as opposed to being laid off, is generally thought of to be the employee's...
(see: rank and yank) such grading prepares students for the corporate world. By limiting success and recognition to the top-performing students, the grading system becomes a relevant measure of student performance in relation to their peers. In this way, rank-based grading prevents the disillusion that students are competitive in areas in which they are actually only competent.
The arguments against rank-based grading are similar:
- Rank-based grading only measures performance relative to a given group, but not the real achievements of a given student. A student with moderate skills could be the best of a bad group, or the worst of a good group. For example in a generally good class the pressure to assign grades along the curve would produce an artificial 7% of F-students, although all students actually performed quite well. This also works the other way round: in a class with generally bad performance the students whose performances are not totally bad would be singled out to form an artificial group of A-students, although in another context they would never get these grades.
- There is no actual evidence that a given group really performs along the normal curve. The distribution may not match the pattern at all.
- Rank-based grades become meaningless when taken out of the context of a given class or school. To understand what a rank-based grade indicates, it is necessary to understand the overall performance of the entire group on an absolute scale.
Grade point average
Grade point average (GPA) is a number that represents the average of a student's grades during their time at an institution. Usually it is weighted by number of credits given for the enrolled course.Most high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s and nearly all college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
use a four-point system. Universities in Hong Kong and Canada, as well as some schools in Singapore also use this system. Under the GPA system, the maximum grade is 4.0 which is equivalent to 100 on a 100-point grading scale.
Numerical values are applied to grades as follows:
- A = 4
- B = 3
- C = 2
- D = 1
- F = 0
This allows grades to be easily averaged. Additionally, many schools add .33 for a + grade and subtract .33 for a − grade. Thus, a B+ yields a 3.33 where as an A– yields a 3.67. http://studentspreunited.com/page/GPA4pointcalculator A+s, if given, are usually assigned a value of 4.0 (equivalent to an A) due to the common assumption that a 4.00 is the best possible grade-point average, although 4.33 is awarded at some institutions. In some places, .25 or .3 instead of .33 is added for a + grade and subtracted for a − grade. Other institutions maintain a mid grade and award .5 for the grade. For example, an AB would receive a 3.5 grade point and a BC would receive a 2.5 grade point.
Weighted GPA
Some high schools, to reflect the varying skill required for different level courses and to discourage students from selecting easy 'A's, will give higher numerical grades for difficult courses, often referred to as a weighted GPA. For example, two common conversion systems used in honors and advanced placementAdvanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
courses are:
- A = 5 or 4.6
- B = 4 or 3.5
- C = 3 or 2.1
- D = 1
- E/F = 0
Another policy commonly used by 4.0-scale schools is to mimic the eleven-point weighted scale (see below) by adding a .33 (one third of a letter grade) to an honors or advanced placement class. (For example, a B in a regular class would be a 3.0, but in an honors or AP class it would become a B+, or 3.33).
Sometimes the 5-based weighting scale is used for AP courses and the 4.6-based scale for honors courses, but often a school will choose one system and apply it universally to all advanced courses. A small number of high schools use a 5 point scale for Honors courses, a 6 point scale for AP courses, and/or a 3 point scale for courses of below average difficulty.
Eleven-point system
A few high schools in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
use an eleven-point system. In this system, one point is usually added to weight a more challenging course. Numerical values are applied to grades as follows:
- A = 11
- A− = 10
- B+ = 9
- B = 8
- B− = 7
- C+ = 6
- C = 5
- C− = 4
- D+ = 3
- D = 2
- D− = 1
- E/F = 0
A very few American high schools use a twelve-point system, which differs from the above only in using the grade A+, to which the value 12.0 is applied.
The E-S-N-U system
At one time (until roughly the mid-20th Century), the most popular grading system in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
used four letters, which ranked, in descending order:
- E (excellent)
- S (satisfactory)
- N (needs improvement; NI was also used interchangeably)
- U (unsatisfactory)
This system has largely been replaced by the five-point system discussed above, but is still encountered quite often at the elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
level, particularly in kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
and Grades 1 through 3 (these levels comprising the lower division of primary school). It is also occasionally used at schools for older children, including high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s, especially in the issuance of conduct or citizenship grades.
There are a few variations to this system, including the use of an O (for "outstanding") grade, which is even higher than the E; a G (for "good") placed between the E and the S; the use of a G (again for "good") instead of the E; and the lack of a U grade. In this version, E stands for "exemplary" and P proficient, with AE and AP for work that approaches the E and P levels. "Credit" is equivalent to the D level and "No Credit" is equivalent to F. http://www.csupomona.edu/~ceis/ipoly/I-Poly%20Handbook%202004-2005.pdf
The S grade may be so modified with an S+ or S−, but otherwise plus and minus are seldom used.
A similar system is used to rank practical work in the certain science department of Oxford University; however only with the grades S (Satisfactory) S+ (more than satisfactory, and may be used in the allocation of degree grades) and NS (Not Satisfactory).
Some schools use O instead of E.
De-emphasis of grades
A number of reputable liberal-arts colleges in the U.S. either do not issue grades at all (such as Antioch CollegeAntioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...
, Bennington College
Bennington College
Bennington College is a liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont, USA. The college was founded in 1932 as a women's college and became co-educational in 1969.-History:-Early years:...
, The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College
The Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is located in Olympia, Washington, USA. Founded in 1967, Evergreen was formed to be an experimental and non-traditional college...
, Prescott College
Prescott College
Prescott College is a private liberal arts college in Prescott, Arizona, founded in 1966. It is a non-profit organization which has an undergraduate body of roughly 800 students, and an average student to faculty ratio of 7:1 in on-campus classrooms...
, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
New College of Florida is a public liberal arts college located in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded originally as a private institution and is now an autonomous honors college of the State University System of Florida.-History:...
, and Hampshire College
Hampshire College
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
) or de-emphasize them (St. John's College, Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
, Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
, College of the Atlantic
College of the Atlantic
The College of the Atlantic, founded in 1969, is a private, alternative liberal-arts college located in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine, United States. It awards a bachelor's degree solely in the field of human ecology, though with a variety of emphases. The college is small, with...
). In all cases, the rationale is that grades often do not provide a clear picture of academic aptitude or of potential for success, and that learning, not achieving the highest score, should be the goal of a liberal education. In many cases, narrative evaluation
Narrative evaluation
In education, narrative evaluation is a form of performance measurement and feedback which can be used as an alternative or supplement to grading. Narrative evaluations generally consist of several paragraphs of written text about a student's individual performance and course work...
s are used as an alternative measurement system.
Grade I or Y
The letter grades 'I' and 'Y' are temporary grades, representing "Incomplete" and "Year", respectively. The distinction between them is so slight that most institutions only use one of them, not both.A 'Y' grade indicates the course, or the time allowed to complete it, extends beyond the temporal bounds of a single term to encompass an entire academic or calendar year, or longer. Conversely, an 'I' grade indicates the student was satisfactorily completing a course when something happened that prevented timely completion, usually illness or injury.
The length of time allowed to complete the work for an 'I' grade varies from a deadline in the first few weeks following the end of term to a full calendar year, the latter being more usual. For some courses (such as independent studies or thesis/dissertation credits), or in some situations (such as subsequent non-enrollment), the time allowed for completion may be indefinite. Some institutions will convert the 'I' grade to an 'E' or 'F' (failing) grade if the student does not complete the course by the end of the time period; others simply make the 'I' grade permanent at that time; and a few institutions retroactively withdraw the student from the course, changing the 'I' to a 'W' grade. Most institutions allow students to apply for an extension of the completion time, upon presentation of special circumstances.
Policies on 'Y' grades are similar or identical to those for 'I' grades, but because of the historical difference in meaning ("Year" instead of "Incomplete"), it is rare for 'Y' grades to be converted to a failing grade if a student does not finish the course, but conversion to 'W' may be done.
Additional Collegiate Grades
- FN = Failure for Non-Attendance*
- W = Withdrawal
- X = Audit
- NR = Not Reported by Instructor
The FN grade indicates that a student has failed a course due to non-attendance. It is calculated as an “F” in the student’s grade point average. For students receiving financial aid, failure for non-attendance may require the student to refund to the College all or part of his or her aid. The FN grade will be assigned by the faculty member at anytime following the final withdrawal date for the course. Students who are in a failing status because of non-attendance but return to the course prior to the withdrawal date may elect to withdraw from the course.
A grade of "W" indicates that a student has elected to withdrawal from a course prior to the course's withdraw deadline. It is not calculated in the student’s grade point average, which would keep the student from facing possible academic disciplinary action if he or she was to fall below the required Standards of Academic Progress (SAP). For students receiving financial aid, a grade of "W" may require the student to refund to the College all or part of his or her aid.
Standards for Academic Progress in Florida, for example, require a student to maintain a grade point average of 2.00 on the 4.00 scale. The student must also successfully complete 67% of the courses attempted, which includes previous failures, re-takes, and withdrawals. Additionally a student may not attempt a course more than three (3) times.
Course Audits
Students may elect to audit a college credit course or workforce credit course by completing the audit form. Students may not change from credit to audit or from audit to credit after the drop deadline. A grade of “X” will be assigned for all courses taken in audit status.No credit will be awarded and fees for college credit courses taken on an audit basis are the same as those taken on a college credit or workforce credit basis.
Courses taken for audit do not count as hours enrolled for the following areas: veteran certification, financial aid awards, Social Security certification, international student enrollment requirements or early admission program enrollment requirements.
Standards of Academic Progress (SAP)
Standards of Academic Progress are the standards set by the school, state, Board of Education, or other agency which are required of students to adhere to in order to continue to attend classes. A student who falls below the SAP may have disciplinary action taken against him or her or denial of financial aid until the student has met the required SAP. In Florida, Standards of Academic Progress require a student to maintain a grade point average of 2.00 or above on the 4.00 numeric grading scale. The student must also successfully complete 67% of the courses attempted, which includes previous failures, re-takes, and withdrawals. Additionally a student may not attempt a course more than three (3) times.Grade Points
To evaluate the scholastic standing of students, the following points are assigned to grades.- A = four grade points per semester hour
- B = three grade points per semester hour
- C = two grade points per semester hour
- D = one grade point per semester hour
- F = zero grade points per semester hour
- FN = zero grade points per semester hour
Students’ scholastic standing or grade point average is obtained by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted for which the foregoing grades have been assigned. Grades of “I,” “W,” “NR,” and “X” are not used in the computation of grade point average. Grades earned in college preparatory classes do not count in the computation of the grade point average.